Former French environmental transition secretary Brune Poirson is joining Accor as chief sustainability officer.
She spent three years in the role as a member of the French Parliament.
Poirson was also the first French person to be elected vice president of the UN Environment Assembly.
Her role at Accor from May 5 will be to define, drive and monitor the commitments, strategy and roll-out of the group’s action plans in terms of sustainable development.
Chairman and chief executive Sebastien Bazin said: “With Brune Poirson’s appointment, I want us to scale up our commitments in terms of environmental protection, give fresh impetus to our efforts to support our local communities and uphold, wherever we operate, our strong beliefs and our actions.
“Taking positive action to support the environment and the men and women who drive our industry on a daily basis is a must. In this area too, I want us to set an example by being both daring and trailblazing.”
Poirson added: “I am delighted to be joining a global leader in hospitality and to be able to contribute my experience and beliefs, and to take action.
“Through more than 5,100 hotels worldwide, hundreds of owners and partners, several hundred million guests and the experienced teams in the field, we have a wonderful opportunity to take practical and decisive action on a daily basis. In this new role, I want to help to further the vision that Accor has had since its creation – bringing to life positive, contemporary and responsible hospitality.”